SEPTEMBER 2023 CHEESE CLUB

 
 

 WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 CHEESES:

Tieton Farm and Creamery’s Black Pearl | Tieton, Washington, USA

Pasteurized goat and sheep’s milk
This local mixie is quite fresh, yet dense (almost cream-cheesy), with caprine and pastoral overtones. The ash on the outside helps preserve the cheese and alters its acidity levels to something a little less twangy and a bit sweeter. It’s a fatty, rich treat.
From this month’s wine club lineup, this cheese pairs well with: 2021 Stadt Krems Kremstal

Lost Peacock Creamery’s Thai Garlic Chèvre | Olympia, Washington, USA

Goat’s milk
This locally-made goat cheese that is laden with Thai Garlic and herbs. This is a spicy, sassy, savoury, freshy that really makes a cheese board pop. The cheeses from Lost Peacock are super special — these farmstead cheesemakers put so much care into the land where their animals graze. They prioritize sustainability and treat their herd of goats like queens. Happy animals make better milk!
Try it with: 2020 Plaimont Les Cépages Préservés

Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze | Milton, Iowa, USA

Pasteurized cow’s milk
This artisan cheddar comes to us from a small, family operation. The cheese is rich and creamy, yet crumbly, with a nutty nuance and pineapple undertones. It’s not as earthy and cavernous as a British Cheddar, but it’s an excellent segue into autumnal seasonal fare. We don’t normally get this guy in Seattle, so it’s a total treat!
Try it with: 2022 Clos des Fous 'Pour Ma Gueule' Rosé

6-CHEESE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3:

Pantaleo | Sardinia, Italy

Pasteurized goat’s milk
This caprino-style formaggio is a simple, hard, table cheese with a taste of place, a mere caprine whisper (just enough to know that you’re indulging in goat’s milk cheese), and a moreish chew. Sardinia has perfected its cheese over the centuries, and this one is a goodie that’s best eaten in thin shavings.
Try it with: 2021 Casa Aurora La Nave Villa de Albarez

Hornbacher | Wasen, Switzerland

Raw cow’s milk
This one-year-aged alpine-style cheese has been reputed as “the baked potato cheese” because it tastes like baked potato skins and butter. YUM, right? This brand of cheese melts extremely well, but because it’s made with love in small batches by one family, it’s a bit pricier. And definitely deserves a spot on your cheese plate, rather than on your actual baked potato :)
Try it with: 2022 Vignerons Ardechois Rosé

Fontina Val D’Aosta | Val D’Aosta, Italy

Raw cow’s milk
This slightly pungent cheese is made by a small cooperative. It boasts big mountain notes of alliums, herbs, wildflowers, and more. The paste is smooth and rich, with meltability similar to Raclette.
Try it with: 2020 Domaine André Berthet-Rayne La Huppe Perchée


 
 

AND SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CHEESE HAPPY AT HOME

  • Protect your cheese from drying out by keeping it in your fridge in a lidded container (like tupperware), a plastic baggie, or the crisper drawer.

  • After opening, always use fresh plastic wrap for any cheese you’re not planning to eat within a day, unless it’s being kept in a container (which we recommend).

  • In general, we suggest eating your cheese within a week or so of purchasing. Some cheeses will last longer, but, you know, why wait!

  • Keep bloomy rinds and blues separated when possible. The molds are quite zealous and will grow on any cheese they can latch onto, so just keep them in separate containers and you’ll be fine.

  • A word about mold: If it’s growing on your semi-firm or firm cheeses, just cut it off and eat it! This white and blue mold is just fine — these cheeses lack the water to host the nasty molds. But if mold is growing on your fresh mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, or fresh chèvre, throw it out.  The amount of water in these cheeses provides a great environment for the nasty stuff. If you start to see mold, you can be sure that the filaments are already running throughout the cheese :(

  • For the best flavors, take your cheese out of the fridge for an hour or so before serving. When cheeses are too cold, all their delicious flavors, aromas, and textures get shy. Serve at room temperature to enjoy to the fullest.

This month’s cheese was carefully curated by Seattle’s Resident Cheese Lady, Rachael Lucas, ACS CCP, CCSE. Rachael is a cheese buyer for the Ballinger Thriftway in Shoreline, a fromage writer for tastewashingtontravel.com, and she’s on the Board of Directors for WASCA (Washington State Cheesemaker’s Association).